In a significant development regarding recent military tensions, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, confirmed that Pakistani forces shot down Indian fighter jets during a four-day conflict earlier this month.

The confirmation came during an interview with Bloomberg at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

General Chauhan stated, “I think what is important is not the jets being downed but why the jets were shot down.” He emphasized the importance of understanding the context of the incident, asserting that “the reasons why the Indian jets were shot down and what the Indian forces did after that were more important.”

“The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and fly all our jets again, targeting at long range,” he added.

The shoot-downs occurred on the night of May 6-7, when the Pakistan Air Force downed six Indian jets, including three advanced Rafale aircraft. This action was in response to missile strikes by the Indian Air Force on several Pakistani sites, including mosques and villages.

Despite the escalation, General Chauhan claimed, “the four-day conflict never came close to the point of nuclear war.” His remarks come in the wake of confirmations from American and French officials regarding the downing of the Indian jets.